From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 17:19:06 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: CypherPunk Cults / Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys"
Message-ID: <199708210826.KAA14179@basement.replay.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Kent Crispin wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 20, 1997 at 08:51:09PM -0700, Tim May wrote:
> > But the ability of a herd to take a vote, real or alleged, will not be
> > sufficient to collect tribute from those who don't want to make the
> > contribution freely.
 
> Note another characteristic of cult thinking -- total separation of
> the illuminati from the "herd" -- the idea that the "chosen" are
> irrevocably different from those other unfortunate creatures that
> accidentally share the same physical form.

  I am one of the "chosen." As a matter of fact, I am not only 
the Grand PoohBaah of the TruthMonger CypherPunk Cult, I am its
"sole" member.
  Black Unicorn is the "soul" member of the Black Unicorn CypherPunk
Cult, and its Grand Pooh-Baaa...Baaaa...Baaaa.
  Blanc Weber is the Grand PoohBroad of the Blanc Weber CypherPunk
Cult, even though her cult does not have a "member."

  I realize that it is difficult for someone who defines themself
by their position in the "group" or their membership in the "herd"
to truly conceive of perceiving life from the perspective of an
individual entity with social capabilities.
  If the cypherpunks mailing list is attacked in my presence, I may
well choose to join in circling the wagons, even if I am capable of
outrunning the attack, or I may choose to shout, "It's OK, I'm going
for help." as I ride off over the horizon to the nearest bar. And
later I may make the same or a different choice if the fight-
censorship list is attacked in my presence.

  The key word is "choice." As in "free."
  "Free...Choice"
  Am I missing something here? Does my brain make a connection between
these two words because of an electrical malfunction, or am I correct
in my assumption that these two concepts are closely related?

  "Voluntary...Mandatory"
  Buuzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  Oops! This combination causes a genuine short circuit, setting off all
kinds of bells, buzzers and flashing lights.
  (BAD COP! NO DONUT!!)

  To tell the truth, I "chose" myself as sole member and Grand 
PoohBah of the TruthMonger CypherPunk Cult because I *do* feel 
that I am "irrevocably different" from "those other unfortunate
creatures" that share a physical form similar to mine.
  Of course all of those other people are fucking idiots! That's
why I chose *me* to live my life, and not them. And I'm sure that
most of them feel the same. Have you ever sat down at watched the
world go by, viewing every passing person from the perspective of,
"What if I, in this body, were like them? Thought like them, liked
what they liked, hated what they hated, acted as they act."
  I've done that when I was on top of the world, and I've done 
that when I was in the gutter, and the answer was always the same.
  "Fuck those idiots! I'm *me*, not them!"

  Nothing personal, Kent, but if I had chosen you to live my life,
I think it would have been a bad mistake. And vice-versa, I am sure.

> > As to the billion or so underpeople who are incapable of contributing that
> > which others are willing to freely compensate them for, think of it as
> > evolution in action.
> >
> > Besides, in about 6.7 years, the world will have replaced them. People are
> > like Doritos...the world will make more.
> 
> One wonders if there is a microscope powerful enough to resolve Tim
> May's heart.

  Tim speaks of those who feel it is their duty/right to "collect
tribute from those who don't want to make the contribution freely."
  Do you feel he is "obligated" to pay tribute to the people who
show up on his doorstep wanting money to buy child sex-slaves? How
about Bibles? Fatty hamburgers? Lean Cuisine? Taxes?

  Somewhere in the world there is a child dying of hunger who could
be fed for a time if you sold your computer and bought food for the
child. But the child is *not* dying *because* you didn't sell your
computer and buy him/her food.
  The child is dying for the same reason that you and I are also
dying--because it was born. ("No One Gets Out Of Here Alive")

  Bill Gates is a Cult of One, and a starving child is a Cult of
One. Bill Gates is feeding a lot of people. Is he feeding *enough*
people? Ask him, I'm sure he'll tell you how *he* feels about it.
  Perhaps Bill Gates is "bleeding" a few people to survive in the
business jungle. Is he bleeding *too*many* people? Ask him, I'm
sure he'll tell you how he feels about it.
  Mother Teresa is a Cult of One. That is how many people she
eats for, in order to stay alive. Is she murdering a starving
child with every bite she takes? Do you also need a powerful 
microscope to find *her* heart?

  Years ago, the Reader's Digest had an ancedote about a small
rural town with only one house. When entering the "town" from
either side, there was a welcoming sign just like one sees in
many cities and towns across the nation.
  The sign read something like this:

             "Welcome to Smithville."
                 "Population 1"
              "Mayor -- Dave Smith."
           "Fire Marshall -- Dave Smith"
           "Town Treasurer -- Dave Smith"
  "Drive Carefully. The life you save could be Dave's."

  So it was not surprising to find out that Dave Smith is a CypherPunk.
(David E. Smith <dave@bureau42.ml.org>)

  Have you never noticed that it is called the cypherpunks mailing list?
                                                         ^
  Plural, Kent, plural. The name is plural in order to warn newcomers
to the list that we are not all "one" and that, despite the wishes of
Rodney King, we may not all "get along." 
  The word "we" is for use by Kings, Priests, and people with tapeworms.
I'm not adverse to striking a deal where you watch my back and I watch
yours, but if you are incapable of watching your own front, then it's
really not my problem.

  If Tim is low on ammo, he would probably find it in his best interest
to cover you while you make a break for yours. If he has plenty of ammo
he might *choose* to do the same, for his own reasons.
  I, for one, however, would not want to show up on his doorstep and
tell him he was *obligated* to cover me while I attempted to get back
the ammo I had given away when the government "required" it of me.
  It's not because I think he's heartless. It's because I *don't*
think he's *brainless*.

TruthMonger
"Who will help me load my Uzi?" said the Little Red Hen.